The Indian Captive: A narrative of the adventures and sufferings of Matthew Brayton in his thirty-four years of captivity among the Indians of north-western AmericaBrayton, Matthew
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The Indian Captive: A narrative of the adventures and sufferings of Matthew Brayton in his thirty-four years of captivity among the Indians of north-western America
Brayton, Matthew
Brayton, Matthew, 1818-1862; Indian captivities -- West (U.S.); Shoshoni Indians -- History; United States -- Biography
The Copper Heads do not, in general, bury their dead in the same
manner with many of the tribes in the United States territory. In some
cases, when a warrior dies, the dead body is placed in a birch bark
canoe in which are also laid the dead warrior's rifle, tomahawk, pipe,
knife and all the other articles belonging to him when alive. Two
blankets and provisions to last six months are also placed in the
canoe. A poor miserable dog is next procured and hung up by the hind
legs to a tree or pole stuck in the ground. The throat of the dog is
cut and the animal suffered to bleed to death. The object of this
ceremony is to provide a dog to hunt with in the spirit land and the
bad blood is let out so as to fit the animal for its new sphere of
existence. A poor dog is as serviceable as a good one for the happy
hunting grounds if the bad blood is taken out. Some powdered roots are
then sprinkled over the body, and the canoe with its contents is
launched on the river, if there is one in the neighborhood, and the
deceased warrior goes on his way to the happy hunting grounds. If
there is no river near, the canoe with its contents is placed on the
branches of a tree, or on a temporary scaffold, and left there.
Sometimes in conformity with the wishes of the deceased the body is
buried under the roots of a tree or placed in a hollow log to wait
until there is some good company to join in the journey to the happy
hunting grounds.
The religion of these tribes is very simple. They worship the Great
Spirit by standing and praying with arms uplifted to the sky. At times
when they see a dark storm-cloud rising up the sky they address it,
believing the Great Spirit to be hid within it. After a prayer, on
some particular occasions, they drink "snakyeye" or whiskey, and dance
with whooping and yelling. They do not believe in a place of
punishment hereafter. Those who have committed crimes in this world
will be punished here by their tribe, or else the Great Spirit will
visit them with sickness or trouble. After this life is over, the
spirits all go to the happy hunting grounds, where there is plenty of
game and where no enemies will come to disturb them.
CHAPTER IV.
MATTHEW BRAYTON'S NARRATIVE CONTINUED.
Climate -- Esquimaux -- Trading -- Mode of Sleeping -- Method
of Taming Ponies and Elks -- Weapons -- Making Pipes.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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